Alyssa Casson is currently a senior in the culinary program at Kaynor Technical High School in Waterbury.  Alyssa is only seventeen years old, but she has experienced more than most teenagers her age.

Alyssa was only nine years old when she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma; a form of muscle cancer.  This type of cancer does not have specific stages like most cancers have, so it was hard for the doctors to conclude just how developed it had become in her body.  However, it was determined that her case was mild for that form of cancer.

The first symptom that Alyssa and her family noticed was a growing tumor on her neck.  She had the tumor tested and removed, but the cancer was already in her body.  

Alyssa began treatment soon after her diagnosis.  She underwent chemotherapy for a year, followed by six weeks of radiation.  Going through the treatments were difficult for her because it was hard for her to stay in school as a result of how sick she constantly felt, and she was forced to give up many of the activities she partook in.  “Day to day life was mostly hospital time,” Alyssa says.

“I used to play a lot of basketball,” Alyssa said.  However, after her treatments began she was no longer able to play, and she states that she never really got back into the game even after she was cured.  She confesses that dancing also became very difficult for her, which was upsetting to her because it was an activity she truly loved.  The biggest challenge of trying to stay in dance class was the fact that she was not allowed to go out and do anything the majority of the time.  Alyssa also states that she lost a lot of flexibility during this time, which only added to the struggle of staying involved in everyday activities.

“It might sound a bit strange to say, but I really think that my doctor was my greatest supporter,” Alyssa confesses.

Alyssa explains how her doctor has experienced cancer first hand with his own child, with himself, and he treats children with the sickness everyday.  Due to his vast exposure to the illness, he was able to understand how it feels from every point of view, and therefore knew exactly how to make Alyssa feel as at ease as possible throughout the process.  He was very understanding and always offered her assistance through support groups and summer camps which she still attends to this day.

As far as activities and hobbies that helped her cope with the illness, she claims that music was her biggest outlet, and that the feeling she got when listening to music was what got her through her sickness.

“I liked listening to music because it always gave me the feeling that I was not alone.”  

Even though they were not going through the same exact situation, she enjoyed the feeling of not being the only one struggling through a tough situation.  

Although she thought it may sound silly, she confessed that one of the hardest aspects of cancer to deal with was the loss of her hair.  As a girl entering middle school, looks began to matter and it was hard for Alyssa to accept the fact that she could not look the way she wanted to.  “It wasn’t the most painful part, but it was definitely the most emotional part to deal with,” she says.  

Alyssa believes that this experience caused her to mature a lot.  When asked what she learned from undergoing the sickness, she felt that how she changed as a person was her greatest takeaway.  However, she did learn that “life can be hard, but you have to embrace what you have because it’s way too short.”

As far as long term impacts, Alyssa claims that she thinks about the experience very often, but if given the choice would not wish it away because of how it helped her to mature as a person and appreciate life to the fullest.